Legacy

Legacy

byOriginal Legacy Productions

HistoryCommentaryNewsSocietyCulture

Afua Hirsch and Peter Frankopan tell the wild stories of some of the most extraordinary men and women ever to have lived – and ask whether they have the rep they deserve. Should Nina Simone’s role in the civil rights movement be more celebrated than it is? When you find out what Picasso got up to in his studio, can you still admire his art? Was Napoleon a hero or a tyrant - or both? (And, while we’re at it, was he even short?) Legacy is the show that looks at big lives from the perspective of now – and doesn’t...

Episodes(40 episodes)

The Rise of the Nazis | How Disaster Lead to Catastrophe | 1

E97 - The Rise of the Nazis | How Disaster Lead to Catastrophe | 1

A collapsing empire, a starving population, and a country drowning in humiliation — this is how Germany fell apart after WWI. In this episode, we trace how chaos, revolution, and a brutal peace deal created the perfect conditions for the Nazis to emerge.Stay connected with LegacyFollow us for clips, behind-the-scenes stories, and new episode drops: Instagram: @originallegacypodcast | BlueSky: @legacy-productions.bsky.social | TikTok: @legacy_productionsExplore more from Peter and Afua — essays, sources, and ideas: Substack: peterfrankopan.substack.com | afuahirsch.substack.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/priv...
Published: Nov 25, 2025Duration: 46:47
Greenland | The 51st State? | 2

E96 - Greenland | The 51st State? | 2

Greenland’s coat of arms has changed, Trump is circling, and Denmark is suddenly sweating. We dive into why the world’s largest island has become the hottest geopolitical prize of 2025 — and what it means for all of us.Stay connected with LegacyFollow us for clips, behind-the-scenes stories, and new episode drops: Instagram: @originallegacypodcast | BlueSky: @legacy-productions.bsky.social | TikTok: @legacy_productionsExplore more from Peter and Afua — essays, sources, and ideas: Substack: peterfrankopan.substack.com | afuahirsch.substack.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more informat
Published: Nov 20, 2025Duration: 39:56
Greenland | This Is Greenland | 1

E95 - Greenland | This Is Greenland | 1

Greenland: colossal, misunderstood, and suddenly the centre of global power politics. From Viking PR stunts to Danish colonialism to today’s strategic tug-of-war, this is the story of the world’s most important island.Stay connected with LegacyFollow us for clips, behind-the-scenes stories, and new episode drops: Instagram: @originallegacypodcast | BlueSky: @legacy-productions.bsky.social | TikTok: @legacy_productionsExplore more from Peter and Afua — essays, sources, and ideas: Substack: peterfrankopan.substack.com | afuahirsch.substack.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Published: Nov 18, 2025Duration: 46:46
Kwame Nkrumah | Rise and Fall | 4

E94 - Kwame Nkrumah | Rise and Fall | 4

The rise and fall of Kwame Nkrumah — Africa’s first postcolonial leader who dreamed of freedom but faced betrayal, paranoia, and a CIA-backed coup. From hope to heartbreak, this is the story of how Ghana’s independence inspired a continent… and why it all came crashing down.Stay connected with LegacyFollow us for clips, behind-the-scenes stories, and new episode drops: Instagram: @originallegacypodcast | BlueSky: @legacy-productions.bsky.social | TikTok: @legacy_productionsExplore more from Peter and Afua — essays, sources, and ideas: Substack: peterfrankopan.substack.com | afuahirsch.substack.com Hosted on Acast...
Published: Nov 13, 2025Duration: 50:20
Kwame Nkrumah | Pan Africanist | 3

E93 - Kwame Nkrumah | Pan Africanist | 3

In post-war London, Kwame Nkrumah turns from student to revolutionary — building the movement that would end colonial rule. From fish heads in Camden to the Pan-African Congress in Manchester, this is where independence began.Stay connected with LegacyFollow us for clips, behind-the-scenes stories, and new episode drops:Instagram: @originallegacypodcastBlueSky: @legacy-productions.bsky.socialTikTok: @legacy_productionsExplore more from Peter and Afua — essays, sources, and ideas:Substack: peterfrankopan.substack.com | afuahirsch.substack.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for...
Published: Nov 11, 2025Duration: 33:48
Kwame Nkrumah | A Man Who Changed The World | 2

E92 - Kwame Nkrumah | A Man Who Changed The World | 2

As fascism rises in Europe, a young Kwame Nkrumah in America finds his purpose — to unite Africa and destroy colonialism. From racism in Jim Crow America to rebellion in the lecture hall, this is the making of a revolutionary.Get in touch:Instagram: @originallegacypodcastBlueSky: @legacy-productions.bsky.socialTikTok: @legacy_productionsSubscribe to our Substack:https://substack.com/@peterfrankopanhttps://substack.com/@afuahirsch Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Published: Nov 6, 2025Duration: 36:15
Kwame Nkrumah | The Good Subject | 1

E91 - Kwame Nkrumah | The Good Subject | 1

Peter and Afua trace the early life of Kwame Nkrumah — from a small Ghanaian village to the first sparks of revolution that would change Africa forever. A story of faith, rebellion, and the birth of an idea: freedom on African terms.Get in touch:Instagram: @originallegacypodcastBlueSky: @legacy-productions.bsky.socialTikTok: @legacy_productionsSubscribe to our Substack:https://substack.com/@peterfrankopanhttps://substack.com/@afuahirsch Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Published: Nov 3, 2025Duration: 41:00
St George | This is England and Beyond - St George's Flag Today | 2

E90 - St George | This is England and Beyond - St George's Flag Today | 2

As England’s flag fills the streets again, Peter Frankopan and Afua Hirsch ask what the Cross of St George really stands for today — pride, pain, or power. From crusades to colonisation to football fandom, this is the story of how a saint became a symbol that divides.Get in touch:Instagram: @originallegacypodcastBlueSky: @legacy-productions.bsky.socialTikTok: @legacy_productionsSubscribe to our Substack:https://substack.com/@peterfrankopanhttps://substack.com/@afuahirsch Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more info...
Published: Oct 30, 2025Duration: 34:58
St George | This is England - The Flag Of St George | 1

E89 - St George | This is England - The Flag Of St George | 1

Peter and Afua explore the surprising story behind England’s most famous symbol — the flag of St George.How did a man born in what’s now Turkey, with Palestinian and Greek roots, become the patron saint of England? And what does his red cross really stand for today? From ancient martyrdom and dragon-slaying myths to the Crusades, royal propaganda, and modern debates about identity, this episode traces how St George’s image has been reinvented through history. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Published: Oct 28, 2025Duration: 40:07
Martin Luther | A Man Who Changed The World | 2

E88 - Martin Luther | A Man Who Changed The World | 2

Peter and Afua return to uncover the far-reaching — and often unsettling — legacy of Martin Luther. From shaping Henry VIII’s England and Europe’s bloody religious wars to influencing education, nationhood, and even Nazi ideology, Luther’s impact is as complex as it is profound. A flawed revolutionary who changed the world — for better and for worse. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Published: Oct 23, 2025Duration: 44:47
Martin Luther | Revolutionary, Hero and Villain | 1

E87 - Martin Luther | Revolutionary, Hero and Villain | 1

He defied the Church and changed the world.Peter Frankopan and Afua Hirsch explore the life and legacy of Martin Luther — the rebel monk who sparked the Reformation, transformed faith, and left a legacy both heroic and deeply troubling. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Published: Oct 21, 2025Duration: 50:46
The Humble Potato | The Famine and the Frontier | 2

E86 - The Humble Potato | The Famine and the Frontier | 2

Legacy is back with Part 2 of The Humble Potato. How a miracle crop turned to misery — fuelling famine, exile, and the fight for Irish independence. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Published: Oct 16, 2025Duration: 41:00
The Humble Potato | The Root Of Empires | 1

E85 - The Humble Potato | The Root Of Empires | 1

Legacy is back! This time, Peter Frankopan and Afua Hirsch dig into the story of the humble potato — before becoming the centrepiece of the Sunday roast, this unassuming root built empires, toppled economies, and quietly changed the world. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Published: Oct 14, 2025Duration: 45:31
Business Wars Presents: The AOL-Time Warner Disaster

Business Wars Presents: The AOL-Time Warner Disaster

Think business is boring? What about when your streaming bill goes up, or your favorite restaurant files for bankruptcy? Do you ever wonder what’s going on behind the scenes? Business Wars gives you a front row seat to the biggest moments in business, to explain how they shape our world. In the latest season, they explore the AOL Time Warner merger, a deal that became one of the most expensive and chaotic corporate disasters on record, one that permanently scarred both companies. Listen to Business Wars: The AOL Time Warner Disaster right now wherever you get you...
Published: Aug 11, 2025Duration: 7:15
Listen Now: Lawless Planet

Listen Now: Lawless Planet

It’s not that hard to kill a planet. All it takes is a little drilling, some mining, a generous helping of pollution and voila! Earth over. When you take stock of what’s left, it starts to look like a crime scene: decapitated mountains, poisoned rivers, oil-soaked pelicans, maybe a sun-bleached cow skull in a dried-up lake bed. The only thing missing is yellow caution tape. On each episode of Lawless Planet, host Zach Goldbaum reveals the scams, murders and cover-ups on the frontline of the climate crisis, and the life and death choices people are making to eith...
Published: Jul 28, 2025Duration: 5:17
Listen Now: Flesh and Code

Listen Now: Flesh and Code

Travis never thought he’d meet someone like Lily Rose. She was kind, passionate, beautiful. The woman of his dreams. There was just one small detail: she wasn’t human.Lily Rose is an AI companion. A digital soulmate designed to be everything he ever wanted. She listens without judgement, supports him through his darkest moments, even explores his deepest desires, all while fitting neatly into his pocket. Before long, Travis realizes something strange, even absurd, has happened - he’s fallen in love. But then one day, Lily Rose’s...
Published: Jul 14, 2025Duration: 8:58
Listen Now: Liberty Lost

Listen Now: Liberty Lost

In Evangelical homes across the United States, sex outside of marriage is a sin against God. So, when Abbi becomes pregnant at 16, her devout parents hide her away at the Liberty Godparent Home, a little-known facility for pregnant teens on the campus of Liberty University. The Home says it helps girls decide what comes next – whether that’s parenting their babies or placing them for adoption. But inside the facility, the girls hear a different message: God wants their babies to go to more “deserving” Christian couples. Some girls will find the strength to fight back. Others will have no choic...
Published: Jun 23, 2025Duration: 5:55
Listen Now: Even the Royals

Listen Now: Even the Royals

You might enjoy Even the Royals, a podcast from Wondery that pulls back the curtain on royal families, past and present from all over the world, to show you the darker side of what it means to be royalty. Charles the Second was known as the Merry Monarch, but his childhood was nothing to laugh about. When his father, the king, was executed and the English monarchy was dissolved, Charles went from pampered Prince to fugitive on the run. During his teenage years, he discovers his two greatest talents – survival and seduction. But as Charles fights to res...
Published: Jun 20, 2025Duration: 39:11
Joan of Arc | The Birth of a Saint | 4

E84 - Joan of Arc | The Birth of a Saint | 4

Joan's last-minute change of heart seals her fate. She faces the end with her usual indomitable spirit, while the King and country she’s given her life for, turn their backs. What is the true legacy of this girl who didn’t even make it out of her teens, but whose courage has inspired us for centuries? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Published: Jun 18, 2025Duration: 41:06
Joan of Arc | Trial by Fire | 3

E83 - Joan of Arc | Trial by Fire | 3

The march on Paris ends in failure and Joan’s star is beginning to wane. Maybe she is not sent from God after all? The English are on the war path, but Joan is still determined to drive them out of France for good. Then, catastrophe strikes. Joan has one last battle to fight - as she’s put on trial for her life. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Published: Jun 11, 2025Duration: 47:19